Survivor: Coral Island - Week #1

This semester I've been having "Fun Fridays" with my grade 10 English class. Initially it was to encourage the students to read for their own enjoyment, and play games (to build our classroom community, get the kids working together, and learn more about each other through play). Last week I had the bright idea to try something different, and start playing Survivor in our class. I want to help students improve their oral communication, teamwork, problem solving, and use of technology through the game of Survivor as a media studies unit. Also, I am a fan of the show, and we are currently studying Lord of the Flies. To see if this is something I should go ahead with I bounced some ideas of a colleague, and he's helping me to get the ball rolling by figuring out how this could work. I took his advice and mapped out the rest of the school year to figure out how many people need to be eliminated each week so that this will work for my class of 32 students

Week #1

I went out and purchased 8 packs of Goody headbands* for about the same price as one actual Survivor buff.

*actual colours used are different than those illustrated.

This gave me "buffs" for four tribes (blue, green, pink, grey) and two other colours (cyan, purple) for if and when we realign the tribes into two teams. To prep for next week I'll need materials for the challenges, team immunity idols, and maybe a hidden immunity idol...or two.

This was my lesson plan to kick things off:

Day 36

Fun Friday, April 1

Read 8:50-9:20

Post the following in Classroom:

How well did you read? Complete the following self-assessment.

http://goo.gl/forms/F7yp3La75e

Are you enjoying what you are reading? If not, check out

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/the-best-young-adult-books-of-2015/ for some inspiration.

PLAY Opening Theme while students are completing the survey.

Poll students to see who hasn't watched before. (3 haven't)

Watch clips from an episode of Survivor (finish Wed. assignment).

Cook Islands Introduction - Explain "tribes"

Cagayan Team Immunity - Explain "immunity"

Gabon Individual Immunity - Highlight the shift from team to individual play

One World Tribal Council - This is how you are eliminated from the game

Survivor: Coral Island

For a grand prize of $10,000 and the title of “Sole Survivor”

Here are your tribes: Get to know each other, we start playing next Friday.

Blue Green Pink Grey

Name your tribe, and create a flag with your tribe name and each player’s name (11x17 paper and pencil crayons). Post on the back bulletin board.

Closer:

Lord of the Flies influence